PHYS vs. VWO
PHYS (Sprott Physical Gold Trust) is a stock, while VWO (Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF) is Emerging Markets Equities fund tracking the FTSE Emerging Index. Over the past 10 years, PHYS returned 11.42%/yr vs 9.00%/yr for VWO. At a 0.17 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
PHYS vs. VWO - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PHYS achieves a -3.85% return, which is significantly lower than VWO's 10.77% return. Over the past 10 years, PHYS has outperformed VWO with an annualized return of 11.42%, while VWO has yielded a comparatively lower 9.00% annualized return.
PHYS
- 1D
- 0.19%
- 1M
- -9.95%
- YTD
- -3.85%
- 6M
- -3.47%
- 1Y
- 20.77%
- 3Y*
- 28.00%
- 5Y*
- 16.26%
- 10Y*
- 11.42%
VWO
- 1D
- 0.76%
- 1M
- -0.68%
- YTD
- 10.77%
- 6M
- 12.57%
- 1Y
- 26.52%
- 3Y*
- 16.61%
- 5Y*
- 5.03%
- 10Y*
- 9.00%
PHYS vs. VWO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHYS Sprott Physical Gold Trust | -3.85% | 63.95% | 26.43% | 12.98% | -1.81% | -4.84% | 23.89% | 18.14% | -2.64% | 12.78% |
VWO Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF | 10.77% | 25.60% | 10.59% | 9.25% | -17.98% | 1.26% | 15.17% | 20.75% | -14.76% | 31.49% |
Correlation
The correlation between PHYS and VWO is 0.38, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.38 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.35 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.31 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.22 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 26, 2010 | 0.17 |
Over the past year, PHYS and VWO have become more correlated (0.38) than their long-term average of 0.17, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
PHYS vs. VWO — Risk / Return Rank
PHYS
VWO
PHYS vs. VWO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS) and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| PHYS | VWO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.69 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.95 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.17 | 1.28 | -0.11 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.92 | 2.21 | -1.30 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.64 | 7.80 | -5.17 |
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Drawdowns
PHYS vs. VWO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PHYS drawdown since its inception was -48.16%, smaller than the maximum VWO drawdown of -67.68%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PHYS and VWO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PHYS | VWO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -48.16% | -67.68% | +19.52% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -24.80% | -11.17% | -13.63% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -24.80% | -17.37% | -7.43% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -24.80% | -32.60% | +7.80% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -24.80% | -36.39% | +11.59% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -22.43% | -2.68% | -19.75% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -20.99% | -15.80% | -5.19% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 8.60% | 3.17% | +5.43% |
Volatility
PHYS vs. VWO - Volatility Comparison
Sprott Physical Gold Trust (PHYS) has a higher volatility of 7.80% compared to Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (VWO) at 6.64%. This indicates that PHYS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VWO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PHYS | VWO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.80% | 6.64% | +1.16% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 24.75% | 14.04% | +10.71% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 28.17% | 16.54% | +11.63% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.53% | 17.48% | +1.05% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.41% | 19.22% | -2.81% |
Dividends
PHYS vs. VWO - Dividend Comparison
PHYS has not paid dividends to shareholders, while VWO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.44%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHYS Sprott Physical Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VWO Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF | 2.44% | 2.79% | 3.20% | 3.52% | 4.11% | 2.63% | 1.91% | 3.23% | 2.88% | 2.30% | 2.52% | 3.26% |
Frequently Asked Questions
PHYS and VWO have a correlation of 0.38, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
PHYS has higher volatility (7.80%) compared to VWO (6.64%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PHYS dropped -48.16% vs VWO's -67.68%.
VWO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.49 vs 0.81), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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